Why Houston Still Has Life To Become Top Team In Big 12

Kelvin Sampson and Co. are in the right position to be in contention of securing the regular season conference title and being a No. 1 seed.

Feb 10, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Players on the Houston Cougars bench react after a play against the Utah Utes during the second half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Buckle up.

Houston has a bumpy road ahead, but there is a bright path ahead if it can get through the stretch of games it is supposed to win and handle business against the top dogs of the conference.

There is not an easy game in this league, and every single one of them has been taken seriously. Coming up, the Cougars will have to be all business and take practice as seriously as any other week, because three games are likely to determine the trajectory of where this program sits when March comes around.

The Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri, begins March 10 and concludes on March 14, before Selection Sunday rolls around and will have the entire Field of 68. There's still a long way to go, but these things are definitely starting to be in the back of the coaches and players minds. So, is there a realistic chance this team has championship aspirations and can be the one that cuts down the nets?

Rest Of Schedule

COOGS WIN
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— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) February 11, 2026

Looking at what the Cougars have left on the schedule, there are seven more games that are all winnable. After the Utes game, a 22-2 record is not too shabby, and it's the reason they've stayed at the top of the conference.

For the next three or four games, Houston is going to learn a lot about itself, as it faces No. 5 Iowa State, No. 1 Arizona, and No. 9 Kansas. Only one of those games will be at home, and it falls on the weekend.

Other than those three contests, the Cougars have a fairly favorable schedule that might help them continue to improve and work their way up to the top spot in the standings. Those games are against Kansas State, Colorado, Baylor, and Oklahoma State, all teams with losing records in the Big 12.

Shooters

Houston is old. Houston is young. It is a combination of both, but it has helped this group of men who are trying to accomplish what they came to this program for, and it is to win a national championship.

Some of these guys experienced the Final Four last season and what that feeling felt like after losing in the championship in the final moments. Throughout the thick and thin of it, those returners from last year’s team have stuck through the adversity and given it their all to bring home a trophy. Those veterans of the team who see plenty of time on the floor are guards, including Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp, as well as forward Joseph Tugler.

In the freshman class, Sampson has found stars who suit his culture and style of basketball, and it has proven to pay off, bringing them in to work hard and get better every single outing.

Freshman guard Kingston Flemings and forward Chris Cenac. Jr. has been a part of the reason the mighty Cougars have consistently put up great numbers. Flemings is becoming one of the primary reasons that the offense has produced as many points as it has, and Cenac’s rebounding effort, which leads the team, has kept possessions in their favor.

Even with the highs and lows of a long season, the entire roster has bought in and contributed as much as possible to put them in a prime position to be contenders. Although there are always areas to grow in, this team is developing and starting another run set up for success if its playmakers can show up on the big stage and secure those must-have wins.